The announcement that the New Kids were going to have the honor of playing Fenway Park came in late January. I’m not going to mince words or dance around the truth: had I not been $800 into my cruise payments (or, even so, had I had the option of finding a roommate replacement without jeopardizing the reservation for both of my girls), I probably would have had to think long and hard about cancelling my spot on the cruise just to be at Fenway. Why? Simply because, as excited as I was about the cruise, I felt fairly sure that there will be (at least) one more to come in the future. Fenway, however…not so much. Of the seventeen concerts that have taken place at Fenway Park since the first in 2003, only one artist (Dave Matthews Band) has been honored to play it twice. NKOTBSB? Perhaps, but that’s quite a gamble. (more…)

Waking up on Sunday was bittersweet, since it was our last day on the boat. We had the photo op first thing (well, not early, but it was the first thing we had planned), and unfortunately, so did everyone else on the entire boat, so it went really long. We only had half a photo group, so we decided to just get in where we fit in and not really worry about it. We were pretty sure that since we were group B, by the time we got to the guys in any group, they’d be beat.

We ran into Amanda and Nina, who had somehow miraculously found room for us in their photo group. One of the girls gave up Joe for Donna, which left Michelle and I to Jon and Danny (but we were both pretty much okay with whomever). We sat at the bar near the end of the line, deciding to be last. After a drink or two, a little relaxation, and some nice conversation, a Rose Tours employee started barking that if we didn’t get in line we wouldn’t get our photo op. (Who knows if that would have actually turned out to be true…we obeyed and got in a line.) We stood in a line that was moving at a decent pace for the next hour, working our way from the casino into the room where the guys were all standing, and already obviously exhausted, having been meeting fans and smiling for pictures for hours on end (and the line was still out the door behind us). Girls who’d made it through before us had been so excited to report that they got hugs and conversation with all five guys, but there wasn’t a chance for any of that at this point in the day. Some of the guys were stretching, others barefoot, all clearly already wiped out. I asked Jeannie from Rose Tours why they schedule all the photos for the same day; we were told that that is all handled by NKOTB’s management. (What the…? Wouldn’t it make more sense to break it up & do a few hours each night? If I ruled the world…) (more…)

I have to preface this post by saying that I learned at a young age to try to be positive as often as possible. (Thanks, Wahlberg!) Somewhere in my mid-20s, I really did start practicing that, rather than just preaching it. (Turns out, he’s right…positivity is about being smart!) It’s easy to give into negative urges, and to many, it’s even fun. But…I think it’s a lot harder and more fulfilling to go against the grain and suppress that. To be genuinely positive is more of a challenge and therefore more rewarding. Others get more from their relationships with you, which feeds you as well. Simply put, I strive to be the best me I can 90% (or more) of the time.

This post, however, will not be one of those times. I really need/want to get this off my chest, and yes…it involves some negativity. It’s not immature/jealous/”I-suck-at-sharing” negativity, exactly. You’ll see. Or maybe you won’t. Maybe you shouldn’t read it. I leave the choice to you, hence this whole disclaimer in the first place. I think that getting this off my chest will allow me to move forward from it and be open-minded to the source of it all. Rather than letting it fester, I’m putting it out there, in hopes of working through it. If you’d rather keep the negativity away, I understand & respect that. Turn away now. Otherwise, read on, but you’ve been warned! Please don’t consider me a hater of any kind…that couldn’t be further from the truth… (more…)